How To Add A Refined Touch To Your Bachelor Pad: Part 2

The Living Room

By setting the bar high with your neatly organized and creative entryway, don’t let your guest down by leading them into an uninspired, jejune living room. Continuity is important from room to room, so it’s important to consider an overall ‘theme’ when approaching your space.

Keep It Simple: When we say theme, we are most certainly not referring to strategically recreating a set from Return Of The Jedi. Regardless of how badass Ewok’s are, they just don’t scream refined gentleman. Instead, think of the term theme in relation to colour scheme, use of materials, or common motif. By maintaining a sense of consistency in your home, you provide a calming and accommodating space worthy of kicking up your feet, or hosting guests. Here are a few easy ways to create a living room belonging to a true renaissance man.

As young bachelors, we are not expected to live in lavishly decorated homes that have been coordinated down to the finest detail, but at the same time living in a veritable hamsters nest of Xbox cables & Dorito bags is unacceptable. A simple way to liven up a space & give it some character is through painting the walls.Stick To The Basics: When it comes to choosing a wall colour for your living room, you don’t need to over think it. Sticking to a palette consisting of deep neutral tones will present a polished atmosphere that is versatile & lasting. Earthen tones are abundant & easily convey masculinity while remaining relatively neutral.
This isn’t to say you can’t introduce colour to your space, but one should always accent with color as opposed to using it as a foundation. For instance, alternate the color of walls, painting three walls in a room a neutral base tone & setting of the other with something brighter. It’s a great way to make a simple space feel more dramatic.

Tip: Because masculine colours tend to be on the dimmer side of the colour spectrum, be sure to make the best out of your lighting situation. If you haven’t been blessed with enough windows to provide bright, natural light, be sure to use lamps & alternate light sources throughout your living room. For the sake of continuity, it’s a good idea to use the same style of lighting fixtures and bulbs as you use in your entryway.A Little Elbow Grease Goes a Long Way: Instead of relying on Ikea for a cheap bookshelf or coffee table, show off your restoration skills by stripping down and re-finishing an old, quality piece of craftsmanship. Check out local re-use centers, garage sales, or even a relative’s basement/attic for un-used, and often decent quality, furnishings for a very reasonable price. After rolling up your sleeves and giving that piece of furniture a little loving, you will be surprised on how much of a difference a little man work can make, especially for your bragging rights.

Introducing Personality: Now that we have hammered out the basics, let’s discuss how to creatively incorporate your ‘MANorabillia’ into your living room. Just like the entryway, presentation is half the battle to adding character to any room. Whether you are a connoisseur of fine wine or a fan of sci-fi, artistically displaying your interests is the best way to shed a positive light on the things you care about the most. Just remember not to over do it, a living room full of various accessories will distract your guest from the pieces that best compliment your personality.

It’s Not The Size That Matters, It’s How You Use It: Remember guys, bigger isn’t always better. Although the allure of a 72” flat screen is tempting, if it isn’t proportionate to the size of your living room, don’t try to force it. Take arms against the status quo by not relying on a large television to be the focal point of your room. Instead, stick to the hard and fast rule of sitting four feet away from your television for every foot it stretches across the wall. Following this guideline will allow the various elements of your living room to shine on their own, instead of basking in the glow of an LCD screen.Key Features To Include Within Your Living Room:Nothing says refined gentleman like a fully stocked bar. By including all the tools of the trade, such as proper glassware, a decanter for your favorite spirit, witty bar signage, and all the proper cocktail equipment, you’ll be able to serve up drinks with the style and finesse of Brian Flanagan in Cocktail. Regardless of whether you enjoy a few wobbly pops from time to time, the bar is a symbol of masculinity that will add a dash of class to your living room, if only for the purposes of display.

On a similar note, displaying your literary favorites’, using a wooden book-shelf, or unique wall display, will portray your intellectual side, showing guests that you are both a gentleman and a scholar. Coffee table books are a great conversation starter, and often are the best way to display the interests you are seriously passionate about. Be sure to pay close attention to the books you intentionally set out in the open, the last thing you want is for a conversation to be struck up about a subject you know little about. To be safe, we recommend sticking to books you have read, or are currently reading…skimming the back cover doesn’t count.

Tip: Take a look around for simple yet elegant accessories to add a subtle charm to your space. Remember that a refined look often lies within the details, so be on the look out for unique pieces that can adorn your luxurious living room. Urban design stores offer a variety of neat home furnishings that can really impress, showing your guests that when it comes to class, you graduated at the top of it.

Summary:

Your living room is the most highly frequented space within your home, so take the initiative to help it achieve its full potential.

Keep It Simple: As men, we aren’t expected to live in lavishly decorated homes, but that doesn’t mean we should live like un-refined slobs. Stick to a constant theme when painting and/or furnishing your living room.Time For Some Charlie Work: Buying new furniture can be expensive, so instead of dropping your hard earned dollars on something new, put in the man-hours restoring a quality piece of furniture that needs some tlc.Introduce Personality: Never overcrowd your living room with accessories, this will only clutter your space. Instead, pick the pieces you feel represent your personality best, and display them in sleek, yet creative manner. It’s Not The Size That Matters, It’s How You Use It: Don’t try to force a television into a space that can’t fit it, no matter how bad you want it.Key Features To Think About: A gentleman’s bar, personal library, and respect for detailing will add the definitive touch needed to impress any guest that walks in the door.

Author

Steve Southon

Steve Southon is a Communication Studies graduate and self-proclaimed literary maestro. When he isn’t reading or writing about media theory, you can often find him sampling the latest in indie rock or informing everyone within earshot of where to get a good cup of coffee.